Barack Obama Career Report

Vocational Report forBarak Obama

INTRODUCTION

“You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth. When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. Work is love made visible.” – Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

A Fulfilling Vocation

In the midst of our busy lives, worn out by the endless repetition of meaningless tasks, it is difficult to appreciate Kahlil Gibran’s poetic image of work as a soul-making sphere. In a technological environment work and soul seem worlds apart. The outer rewards of career – prestige, status, vacations, salary packages, job security – conceal the urge to express soul through our vocation. When we are no longer anchored by values and images that remind us of a meaningful life, emptiness permeates the working atmosphere, contributing to an epidemic of dissatisfaction, depression and insecurity in the workplace.

Vocation is from the Latin vocare, to call, and in early English this referred to a spiritual calling. In modern terminology we can conceive of vocation as the calling to one’s authentic role in the world. As an aspect of the individuation process, our vocational path is not predetermined but forged through the interrelationship of our inner self with the outer world over time. Carl Jung suggested it was vocation, which induced an individual to follow his own soul and become conscious. He suggested vocation was ‘an irrational factor that destines a man to emancipate himself from the herd and from its well-worn paths. True personality is always a vocation’.

To follow the voice which summons one on their authentic path demands that the individual be spirited enough to forge their own way in the world. As Jung reminds us, ‘Creative life always stands outside convention’. Vocation demands we risk being unique. When you were a child what was your answer when adults inevitably asked ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ As children we are uninhibited in our career choices, not yet influenced by cultural standards and values that judge professions. Still unaware of what work entails, the answer springs from our imagination.

How we shape these soulful images of who we may be in the world is our vocation and a large part of the individuation process. These impressions are already inherent in us and often accessible to us through the imagination, and certainly through images in the horoscope. However one of the main obstacles in our vocational search is literality. Mistaking an internal image for a concrete career perpetuates the myth that vocation is something existing outside of us, already established in the world for us to find, not something that unfolds over the course of our lives.

The illusion that the right career path, a creative job or our own business will dissolve our job dissatisfaction hinders the discovery that vocation is already present in us. A complexity of external factors influences our career choices: familial awareness, educational opportunities, financial resources, parental support, and encouragement. Role models who we admire as children, experiences that capture our imagination and the breadth of exposure to the world around us impress us.

Another major influence on career choice is parental expectations. Whether it is overt or not, we are subjectively influenced by the unconscious expectations of the parents, the ancestors, and the culture. This pressure contributes to moulding our careers whether we yield or rebel to it. Yet instinctively we are drawn to certain courses, beliefs, and theories, experiences that are all part of the process of helping our careers unfold. Ultimately the vocation is like a large tapestry woven with the threads of all of our life experience and choices, not a well-trodden career path with guaranteed superannuation. Unfortunately, vocations do not come with job descriptions, opportunities for promotion or a guaranteed income.

No doubt work and career are an aspect of vocation, but we often confuse the longing for self-fulfillment with a literal job. Vocation, like individuation, is a job, it is a task; it is the ‘opus’ of one’s life. Therefore the task of vocation continuously unfolds throughout our lifetime and its success depends on our ability to courageously follow its call. Vocation is an aspect of our fate, a force deep inside that pushes itself to be expressed in the world, therefore is intimately bound up with the course of our lives.

Yet because work is how we ‘make a living’ we often identify work as something we do rather than something we are. Because some professions can bestow such prestige and status we may be drawn to a profession because of what it can offer materially, not creatively. Some careers offer the financial rewards that provide a wealthy lifestyle; however, at a critical point in our lives it becomes evident that career bonuses are never enough if vocational urges are still unmet.

A vocational analysis utilizing astrology is very beneficial in revealing an individual’s calling. The astrological horoscope does not supply literal details, but it does offer suggestions as to the features necessary to make the vocational journey fulfilling. Vocation may also be found in hobbies, volunteer work, and courses of study, not always presenting in the form of a career. This report will help you to reflect on the qualities of your character that create an empowering effect on shaping a meaningful vocation.

Using your horoscope as the personal guide this report will offer suggestions to help you consider a fulfilling vocation. As you read about the vocational images from your own horoscope you will find that many repeat similar themes, reminding you to be alert to these patterns. In other cases you will find that there may be contradictions. Human nature is full of paradoxes and it is of equal importance to have an insight into the nature of our own ambiguities and inconsistencies.

This report will introduce you to the archetypal forces that underpin your personal search for a fulfilling vocation.

VOCATION AND DESTINY

“Vocation is the spine of life” -Friedrich Nietzche

The Lunar Nodes Embedded in each horoscope is the archetypal image of the dragon-battle and, as myth reveals, all heroes come across a dragon at some point in their journey. This encounter is a psychological allegory for our battle with regressive urges to do what is expected of us, rather than mustering the courage to follow our own path.

Astrologically, it is along the nodal axis where we encounter this dragon, the incentive to confront our own destiny. In considering this axis we can envisage the North Node or Dragon’s Head as the calling to be heroic, to develop an identity in the world, or in other words, to follow our vocation.

The North Node points to what can be developed through valuing and cultivating innate faculties. The South Node, known as the Dragon’s Tail, is the container of talents, skills and aptitudes gleaned from the past, lying untapped and undifferentiated. Without recognition or consciousness they remain stagnant, unable to be directed advantageously. Hence a heroic act needs to dislodge and distribute this energy so it can be of service.

In circulating this energy the potentiality of the north node is heightened. Each time this energy is liberated, destiny is petitioned and vocation is more conscious; therefore the South Node is a vital key to unlocking the treasure chest of vocational talent. Another way we could think about the North Node is that it is an invitation to participate and cooperate in the life journey. The North Node is where effort must be exerted. This is an opportunity to learn what needs to be developed and made conscious. For vocational purposes we could view the North Node as a symbol of what demands to be anchored and directed in the world. Unlike the South Node it is not instinctive and therefore needs to be recognised before it can be applied.

In striving to realise the potentiality of the North Node, satisfaction and meaning will be derived. The South Node in the opposite sign suggests an innate quality that needs to be disseminated and used freely in pursuit of a vocation. It is providence, a gift of inherited qualities from the past that can be used as resources for the future. The South Node suggests that well developed residues need to be dispersed and shared or they may become entrapping. It symbolises what must be utilised in the conscious attempt to fulfill one’s destiny. The South Node acts as a dissemination point for what becomes conscious at the North Node.

In a way the South Node brings to mind the need to contribute this energy to the familial and social realms, the world at large. Since this energy is instinctual it is not necessarily always consciously directed or purposefully used. The Lunar Nodes are important to consider in a vocational analysis since this polarity in the horoscope represents an axis of destiny. The issues involved in the nodal axis seek conscious expression and reconciliation, which are often sought through vocation. The nodal axis is intimately connected to the individual’s path in life and therefore the nature of this polarity is often drawn into the pursuit of a fulfilling career.

The sign position of the nodes reveals an essential aspect of the individual’s destiny. The polarity of signs embraced by the North and South Nodes describe important qualities necessary to both develop and disseminate in the vocation. The house position of the Nodes will illustrate the environmental factors that help to shape and influence an individual’s destiny. The North Node’s house position directs us to be aware of an important arena of our lives. It is important to consciously participate in the area of life described by the house position of the North Node. This is an area where both the inner and outer worlds collude to lead us into an encounter with our destiny. It is a part of life that beckons and invites us into its experiences.

Since the North Node is often the place where we momentarily may experience the transcendent and spiritual aspect of the self, its house position maps the place where these experiences happen. The North Node does not have a cumulative effect; in other words experiences at this place are not sequential, but more arbitrary, and may seem to happen out of the ordinary. The random nature of the North Node is more to do with its subjective nature and entanglement with the spiritual world. Hence the house position of the North Node may suggest the setting where the encounter with the spiritual self occurs.

The South Node is in the opposite house and may describe a familiar place, an area of safety, and a comfort zone which supplies an anchor. However it is also a place where we can become fixed caught in the safety zone of our complacency. Therefore it suggests an area we must leave to develop and explore our life’s pathway. Another metaphor we could use to define the nodal axis is that the North Node is the destination, the station where the path is headed, while the South Node is like the departure point, the station where we embark. The Nodal axis is like a track with the well-worn grooves of the path near the South Node. Combining both factors of sign and house establish a more individual profile of the essence needing to be to recognised and developed to actualise an individual’s potential pathway.

Planets aspecting the Nodal axis will also demand attention especially if conjunct either pole of the axis. Planets that square the nodal axis suggest the need to incorporate this energy into the vocation. Therefore these planetary placements in reference to the nodal axis will also be analysed.

Following is the description of the lunar nodes in your natal horoscope to help you reflect on your own vocational pathway.

The North Node is in Leo

You were born with North Node in Leo and the South Node in the opposite sign of Aquarius suggesting that in your pride of lions, your destiny is to have the loudest roar. Your invitation appeals to the aspect of yourself that is playful and childlike, as it through your natural and spontaneous expressiveness that you will become connected to your purpose.

Developing creative ideas, performing innovative plays or creating artistic pieces are all avenues to this sense of fulfillment. Virtues ripe for development are loyalty and affection, especially to the inner child, who seeks expression. Inherently you know how to be a team player and support and encourage fellow members, but circumstances may conspire to lead you away from the group and more into the spotlight. With such a strong social conscience and well-developed capacity to be part of a group it is easy to sideline your own creative impulses in favour of communal needs.

However, it is important to know that your creative, original focus on your own ideas and projects will be productive and beneficial to the group at large. Vocationally you need to be at the centre, heartened by and ‘in love’ with the career path you take through life. Lions need to feel they are being recognised for their achievements and need to receive feedback and a form of applause in order to feel fulfilled. Praise goes a long way in encouraging anyone to perform well and in your case it is necessary.

Fundamentally you have already developed a solid network of friends, colleagues and acquaintances and they will be on hand to acknowledge you if you let them. With their support and acknowledgement you will brighten the world around you through your innovative personality. Your sense of self-esteem and confidence is probably linked to your vocation; therefore it is important that you have pride in what you do. The need for self-expression and self-promotion in a career is also important.

Most probably you will also find that your need for self-discovery and self knowledge is forged through a creative occupation. While you instinctually know how to be a friend it is important to develop your own identity through your vocation. As a colleague and friend you are able to listen to others but it is your creativity that now needs to be identified and demonstrated. So whether you produce your own play, design your own label, or manage your own business, what makes the difference is that your name is attached to the creative output and that it is recognised by others.

Specifically you thrive in professions like promoters, teachers, entertainers, instructors, motivators, authors, and actors where you interact with others using your creative skills. At the end of the working day you will need to have felt a response for your creative endeavours, a reflection from the community that your contribution has been valuable.

The North Node is in the 11th House

Your North Node is in the 11th house with the opposite pole of the South Node occupying the 5th. Astrologically this is similar to the Leo-Aquarius polarity, which contrasts the sphere of individual imagination and self-expression with group participation and company creativity. Your horoscope suggests that while you may be more comfortable being personally involved with your own creativity, it is necessary to become more aligned with community concerns.

Vocationally your path leads towards the sphere of being involved in group projects and undertakings. Therefore you need to strive to integrate your originality with the social climate in the environment. Ironically while you are passionate about your own ideas and beliefs your path takes you into the political arena where the voice of the people and the community need to be heard and supported. You have the capacity to be a voice for a larger collective; therefore it is important to know that others will respect your views and beliefs. It is valuable to know that you will be well received and admired in the community when you heed the call to become more involved in organisations and group efforts.

Turning the spotlight away from your own need for acknowledgement and applause to follow your strong humanitarian impulses will be beneficial for you and your career. You need to be involved in a cooperative to exchange ideas and information and bring your unique enterprise into public domain. Your creative talent is both exclusive and original, therefore you find your colleagues and soul mates through like-minded associations, which are often marginal or out of the mainstream. It may be through your participation in communal action that you find a greater purpose and direction.

No doubt others will acknowledge your social role; therefore it is important to consider others’ invitations to speak publicly about your creativity, join the executive of the society or represent the group in some way. Vocationally your creative expression is ultimately tied to the wider community of artisans, healers, visionaries and entrepreneurs. Your voice adds weight to the acceptance and respect of your creative endeavours.

The Moon is Square The North Node

In your horoscope the Moon is square the Nodal Axis. Traditionally this is often a harsh aspect; however, in this case the Moon takes on a unique function in terms of your vocation. A customary way of thinking about this aspect was that the planet was at the bending, a transitional moment in the nodal cycle. Therefore in terms of the course of your destiny the Moon presents its challenge to be consciously woven into the fabric of your vocation.

This suggests that one of the major challenges to your vocation is feeling secure. This might suggest you look for security in your work only to find that it is temporary. Therefore this aspect poses the question, ‘how do I find security in the transitional nature of work?’ Ultimately it is your attachment to your vocation and what fulfills you that offer security, not the external workplace or the literal job. Growth and change are inherent in your career. You may feel this destabilises you; however, it is actually an aspect of your vocation that helps you discover your true place. Through the changing landscape of your jobs you find the security of your own feelings and what is important. Therefore it is vital to reflect on whether your particular line of work is offering you the security you really need or have you become stuck in a routine?

Your vocation always presents you with the impetus to find security, safety and a feeling of homecoming. Therefore it is essential to understand the mix of elements that provide security and seek these through your employment. Be aware of getting caught up in other’s needs as these may lead you down a path that detracts from your vocation.

Chiron is Conjunct The South Node

Symbolically with Chiron near your South Node you come from a lineage of wise ancestors, many of whom you may not consciously be aware of. Deep inside you may sense this. In reality some of the ancestral lines may have been severed so there is no way to confirm this, except through your subjective understanding of healing.

What you intuitively know needs to be shared even at the risk of feeling alienated or marginalized. Your feelings of estrangement stem more from realising your vocational place is not in the corporate or traditional world. However it does not mean that you cannot complement this world. In fact this is your vocational task – to be able to express the call to be a healer in the way you need to, not in the ways set out by others.

This placement suggests you may have a natural diagnostic ability, understanding the source of illness and wounding. It is important to respect this gift and cultivate it in your career. You may feel you have a calling for the healing or therapeutic professions yet hold yourself back because you are acutely aware of your own wounds and disorders. However, since antiquity healers have understood that they are called to their profession because of their own wounding. And ironically while they are able to soothe the sores, apply the ointment and nurse others back to health, they often are unable to do this for themselves. It is through the acceptance of your own troubles that you find the courage to help others. Whatever courses this healing or helping takes, you are able to understand the depth of human suffering because of your own. Therefore it is unwise to hold yourself back from your own destiny because you feel unworthy. It is because you feel unworthy that you are called to be a healer.

Uranus is Conjunct The North Node

With Uranus on your North Node you are familiar with the pull towards the unusual and non traditional. In a vocational sense this implies that your career path may be somewhat different than your school mates, friends and social acquaintances. You are invited to take the road less travelled and while it may not be the easiest or the best known, nonetheless it suits your calling to adventure. Imagine your career path like a fast-moving conveyor belt of which you are never certain where or when it will stop. And when it does it will be with a jolt and unexpectedly you may be whisked off again. So using strategy to plan your next career move may not always be wise as life’s roller coaster has many surprises in store.

You are moved by the Promethean spirit that wants to revolutionize the world, whatever that world is. You reach out to something greater to inspire you and hence your vocation is never static, but always growing and changing. As a spokesperson of the future you may be involved with new ideas that reshape the world around you, innovative technologies that take you beyond the limits set down by previous generations. Whatever your chosen path you put your own individuality and uniqueness into whatever you do.

While you work best independently, you seek your tribe in like-minded revolutionaries. Providence provides you with a circle of colleagues and contemporaries who can inspire you and help you, as you are destined to be part of a larger trend and movement, even if you do feel solitary. Uranus’s invitation is to be heroic enough to step outside the box and explore the margins, as it is on the fringe or what is outside convention where you will find vocation’s call. As a visionary you are called to modernize your world with your innovative, inventive and original ideas.

VOCATION AND DIRECTION

“Many are called, few are chosen: many have talent, few have the character that can realise the talent. Character is the mystery, and it is individual.” – James Hillman

The Ascendant and Angular Planets

From the moment of your first breath, your fate was sealed. The Fates that spun the thread also measured its length and then cut the cord to free the spirit. The patterns woven at birth by the Fates were embedded in the soul and it is these soulful designs that have become the template for your human journey. Your genesis is a map for your life. This map is the horoscope, a vibrant multi-layered design of character, potentialities and persuasions.

This moment of birth has defined your orientation to life through four directions known as the angles of the horoscope. Like a compass pointing you along the right path, each one of the four angles plays a major role in defining the direction of your life. Direction and vocation are entwined as along the angles we find the course of our lives. Your four angles form two planes of experience. The first plane of experience is your individual and personal orientation to the world detailing your personality, your outlook on life and your natural inclination towards partnership. This is the angle of the ascendant, the degree of the zodiac rising at the moment of your birth. This helps describe your motivation to life and therefore what personal traits you can bring to your vocation.

The polar position on this plane is known as the descendant, the degree of the zodiac setting on the horizon when the Fates cut the cord. Here the astrologer reads the patterns and potentialities of merging your personality with a soul mate. In a vocational analysis this is also important to read in terms of co-operation with others.

The second plane of experience is an inherited view of the world, shaped by ancestry and familial lines. Along this polarity of angles you experience the impact of your family or origin on your direction as well as the expectations and influences placed upon you. Embedded in this plane of experience are familial patterns and fate shaping your direction and vocation. The angle of the IC reveals the atmospheric conditions of your early familial experiences while the opposite angle suggests your destiny in the world, strongly influenced by parental and societal expectations. Therefore to familiarise yourself with these influences will add to your understanding of vocation.

The ascendant marks the birth point and is metaphoric of your natural disposition and outer image. This describes your natural outreach and personality traits that are spontaneous; in fact this is the person we first meet, the face turned out towards the world. However in the natural wheel of the horoscope the sign on the ascendant is at odds with the signs that rule the cusps of the houses that describe vocation. Therefore as a more integrated self begins to emerge we often experience what we do in the world to be in conflict with whom we feel we are. This is a human challenge to learn to adapt your personality to your vocation.

Following is a description of the signs on this axis. Reflect on how these qualities might need to be utilised and adapted to your vocation. If you have a planet that was rising or setting at your birth then this energy needs to be acknowledged as a powerful guide and influence on your vocational path. Each angular planet could be seen as a guiding force, a daimon or soul force seeking expression through you. If you have more than one angular planet they will have different needs and likely will contradict or conflict with one another. The key as always is to find the right time and venue to be able to express both as fully as possible.

1st House Cusp is in Libra

The sign Libra was rising over the eastern ascendant at your birth gracing you with an attractive and welcoming personality. People are drawn to your smile, your twinkling eyes, and your openness. But it is not so much your physical features but your aura of friendliness and inquiry that appeals. You are ready to be in relationship with others, listen to their trials, share their triumphs and just be together. You strive to make your environment as pleasant and peaceful as possible, being cordial and warm-hearted to everyone. And you have the knack of liking and appreciating even the most difficult and unpleasant people. Your social skills and pleasing personality will come in handy in your vocation.

However your idealism and innocence about others will be challenged in making your living. Not everyone is as fair and just as you are, or as open and kind. You need to toughen up when it comes to work as your good nature is vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Vocationally you might be called to work with others in very personal ways, but it will be necessary to create emotional boundaries, be firm and professional. Your work might take you into territory that is critical and intense where you need to find your emotional strength. Your natural people skills and ‘bedside manner’ are a great asset but on your vocational journey they need to complement a more discriminating and critical part of yourself.

On the opposite side of your birth horizon is Aries, suggesting that through relating you will find the ability in yourself to be more independent and self willed about what you want. You are attracted to the autonomous spirit and competitive drive in others and are a great mate in complementing their independence. You learn about your own will and desire from others and this comes in handy when you want to break out on your own, have a tough decision to make or need to stand up to an intimidator at work. Your personality is designed for relating but through your vocation you also learn that others not always share your justice or values or have the same good intentions at heart.

VOCATION AND CHARACTER

“Character is fate.”- Heraclitus

Considering the Sun and Moon

Whatever Heraclitus meant two and a half millennia ago is a mystery. However, this phrase has captured philosophical attention ever since, as its truth is evident. We do contribute to our fate through forging our character. It is that personal mix of our habits, rituals, values, beliefs, ideals and morals that all inform our character and contribute to our deeper layers of personality. Through time these become forged into who we are; our character becoming our fate. While the world may acknowledge our achievements from work well done, our greatest success lies in self-fulfillment and the satisfaction of a life well lived.

Again the astrological horoscope becomes a useful guide to understanding personality characteristics that shape character. Astrologically the three aspects of your horoscope, which are the most relevant in considering your own individual character, are the Ascendant, which we have explored in the last section of this report, and the Sun and Moon. Character is fate and expressed through our life journey. Through examining your Sun and Moon it becomes clearer what you need to identify with and need on your vocational path, and therefore what is necessary to develop and nurture in character. Your Sun sign reveals the virtues that are part of your potential character while the Moon sign suggest what needs are important for you to feel safe in the world. Each individual’s character is unique and your description of the Sun and Moon sign will be personalised through other astrological factors. However this is an entrée to begin to consider the virtues and needs of your character.

THE SUN:

“In the final analysis, we count for something only because of the essential we embody, and if we do not embody that, life is wasted.”– C.G. Jung, Virtues of the Essential Self

The Sun is the central focus of its system and therefore represents a multi-dimensional symbol. On one level it is the essential self and the twelve signs of the zodiac, which mark its apparent path through the heavens, represent spiritual concepts and virtues. Each sign characterises qualities of the human spirit. To the ancients the path of the Sun in the sky was akin to the hero’s journey and each sign designated a heroic labour.

Astrologically we can present a case for each one of the twelve signs represents a soul state. Therefore when we are in touch with the virtues underpinning our Sun sign we become closer to its spiritual essence and feel closer to the true self. Psychologically this suggests a more soulful and meaningful experience of who we are. On the other level the Sun is symbolic of our identity, the passport of the self. Of course one of the important considerations of identity besides sex, age and nationality is profession.

The Sun is essentially what we might identify as important, what helps us feel vital and good about ourselves. The Sun suggests what we may be skilled at. It might not be easy at first, but as we grow we naturally become more aware of our solar impulse. Therefore in many ways the Sun sign helps shape the vocation, as it hints at what is important to be identified with and qualities that help us excel.

The Sun is in Leo

Having your Sun in Leo, a fixed fire sign, suggests the traits of being constant, enduring and warm-hearted. Fixed fire conjures up the image of a fireplace, a location where the power of fire can be contained, whether raging in a hearth or softly twinkling on a candle. Like this metaphor you have the ability to emanate warmth, personality and charisma when your passionate feelings are tempered and focused. These fires are your creativity and your creative act is to explore and discover the self. Being affectionate, tender and hospitable, you are endowed with the spirit of generosity. Being loyal and protective are your strong virtues. You demonstrate this through your allegiance to those you befriend and a fidelity to those you love.

Astrologically Leo is associated with the heart, a central focus in the body. Therefore your focus is the heart and you have the ability to radiate warmth for yourself and others in your atmosphere. Anias Nin suggested that when she cast her own warmth around her it was reflected in others, a great truism for Leo. As the archetypal father, king of the pride or queen of the parade you’ll often find the archetypal Lion at the centre, on the seat of power. While you might fantasize it is a throne, it is more likely that yours will be the teacher’s seat at the head of the class, the director’s stool in front of the action or the psychiatrist’s chair opposite your client.

Your vocation inspires others to become their true self, encouraging them to be creative and playful. You can embody both the serious and the playful professional. Ironically while you can be dignified and powerful, you also have a healthy inner child who balances the serious sides of life with amusement and frivolity. It is your lion heart, who best knows how to play, find amusement in the humourless, and irreverence in formality. Therefore while you might aspire to greatness you don’t want to be precious. Wisdom without humour, truth without wit or status without integrity is antithetical to your nature.

While you are responsive to others, in your own heart you know that you cannot remain true to others without first being true to yourself. You instinctually know that being true and constant begins with it the difficult task of creating an honest relationship with yourself. This often means you need to be candid about your vulnerabilities, sincere about your fears and straightforward about your motives. Hence your honour in being genuine allows you to shine. Your heroic journey begins with acts of self-disclosure, a vulnerable act that softens your heart to express love easily and authentically. Again Anias Nin described this truth when she remarked that when you possess light within you will be able to see it externally.

The possession of the heart light is your gift but its great virtue is keeping it alight through acts of loyalty and fidelity. To find your vitality and spirit and to feel soulful in the world you need to strive to find creativity, generosity, joy, loyalty, affection, and optimism in your occupation.

THE MOON:

“Care of the soul asks us to observe its needs continually, to give them our wholehearted attention.” -Thomas Moore, Caring for Your Soul

The Moon is the archetype of care and nurture. From a general overview the Moon reveals what needs are important to satisfy in our vocation. The Moon sign can help to identify what basic requirements are necessary to care for the soul at work. In a vocational capacity the Moon corresponds with the nurturing professions and if the individual is drawn to one of these professions, the Moon sign helps to differentiate what kind of caring could suit its temperament. The planetary sign acts as a filter for the archetypal urge when it seeks expression through the vocation.

The Moon is in Taurus

With your Moon in Taurus your need for security and stability is high. In your daily life you would prefer a stable environment where you can settle and not be rushed or surprised. It is important to know what you are meant to be doing; therefore in any job it would be necessary for you to take care of these needs. You also need to feel valued in your work and that you are providing an essential service through your tasks, no matter how routine or repetitive they are. Therefore income is an important consideration for you, as it is necessary to feel that you are able to support yourself as well as speak up when you feel it is time for a raise or promotion. Since you are committed to the long term, you need to proceed along the career path step-by-step. You also need tangible results in what you do and be able to monitor your own development.

From an early age you were instinctually drawn to nature and content to be surrounded by its natural beauty. To care for your soul in the tasks of an everyday life, you need to be comfortable and secure in what you do and where you are, involved with the sensual aspects of life. You need to nurture your self through what you do; if you do not find this security through your daily life you might find yourself drawn to food and pleasure as a replacement. If you are drawn to the nurturing professions then your Moon in Taurus is instinctually drawn to a hands-on sensual approach, such as massage, aromatherapy, chiropractic work, nursing etc.

You may be drawn to your vocation due to a strong sense. For instance if that were touch, you might consider massage; if it were sight, you may be drawn to design or if it were taste, you might have an innate flair for food preparation and cooking.

INCOME

“The worth of someone is deeply tied to images of destiny, the twists and turns of fate, and the wheels of fortune. The same is true of money. Our relation to money is our relation to fate.”– Russell A. Lockhart

The Rich Resources of Your Life

Traditionally the second house is associated with money and the accumulation of assets. In a vocational sense the 2nd house details our earning capacity, income and resources. Psychologically this is the sphere where self esteem and personal values are shaped by our early experiences. It is where we learn what is ‘mine’, how to share, trade and exchange articles of value. Self worth, the impact of familial values, the substance and significance we place upon our efforts, income received or value returned are all intimately interwoven into the fabric of this house.

In the modern climate of the corporate world, pay replaces satisfaction in the workplace; yet the secret of the 2nd house is that fulfilment is intimately tied to the expression of our skills and resources, not wages. Having found the wellspring of our talent, money follows. Pleasure is experienced through apprenticeship and mastery of our skills and talents, not through economic management. The second house suggests innate resources, which can be developed and valued. In a literal sense these are ‘traded’ for income or other rewards which support us in the world. This area suggests our innate strengths, skills and talents that must be utilized in earning our living. Psychologically these are our personal assets and resources, which sustain and support us in our career. Talent not only refers to our natural abilities and capacity for success, but also in ancient times was a weight of gold or a monetary unit.

The secret of the 2nd house is to recognize that it is our innate talents and skills that bring our wealth and living. This house also describes what we value and also what gives us value. In a way it describes what we like to do. Consider what you appreciate and desire. Your 2nd house is indicative of what you desire and planets in this house reveal what you might attract because of your values and desires. The sign on the cusp of the house symbolizes aspects of the assets you need to use in a resourceful way. The sign suggests what needs to be valued in your vocation, the natural style of earning an income, as well as your attitudes towards wages and money.

2nd house planets reveal the earning style and literally may suggest how you earn your living or your patterns and relationship to money and possessions. These are the archetypal urges needing to be expressed in a skilful and resourceful way in your career. Planets here are the forces that shape your sense of worth and value and help you tap into your innate resources. It is important that you use these skills and resources in supporting your own sense of self-esteem. Symbolically, understanding this archetypal presence in your life can help unravel any damaging patterns that support an impoverished sense of self or a disapproving attitude towards money and possessions. Forging an alliance with this energy helps you create a supportive and positive approach to your sense of worth which in turn influences the way the world values you.

2nd House Cusp is in Scorpio

On your 2nd house cusp is the sign Scorpio. In contemporary astrology the ruler of this house is Pluto, the lord of the underworld. Pluto’s name is derived from the Greek, meaning wealth or riches and in classical times the lord of the underworld was a rich man. Metaphorically this mythic image is brought into your 2nd house, the sphere of income and money, bringing the mystery of wealth into your vocation. This might suggest that you have hidden talents and resources that are revealed through your working life. It certainly means that you need to consider what riches you do possess and how to best maximise their potential.

Others might not be able to see your skills and talents clearly and therefore your untapped talents and resources may still be unacknowledged. Scorpio waters run deep. For you they flow through where you locate your deepest resources. This suggests you have a great resource in being able to know what lies beneath the surface of things.

Vocationally this suggests that you have a therapeutic skill that can be tapped. Professionally you might be drawn to earning your income as a psychoanalyst, doctor, healer, carer or bereavement counsellor. Innately you know the cycles of life and might choose to deal in careers where life, death or rebuilding are in high focus. You have a knack for dealing well in crisis. One of your great skills is dealing with critical passages, whether they are in individual’s lives, in organisations or projects. Whether you are helping to rebuild someone’s life, a company or a house you have an ability to transform situations.

Research is also another avenue, especially when you are digging deep to find the missing piece of the puzzle; whether a forensic, archaeological, medical or financial researcher does not matter. What matters is that you search beneath the surface to find the truth. Herein lies your talent and your fortune.

Wealth is not just a fiscal reality. You find pleasure and riches in the deep connections with others in life, whether that is helping someone in distress, being a witness to another person’s transitions or feeling respected and appreciated yourself. With this astrological image you have an inherent ability with money. However there is a cautionary side. Power and money are aligned; therefore beware of money being used as a power tool to manipulate others or yourself. In your life money is a potent symbol and one that transforms relationships and feelings.

Destiny suggests that your path may cross into corporations where there is a lot of money, encounter wealthy business people or clients or deal with great transfers of money. But the secret in your life is that it is not money that is the source of transformational power, but your integrity, honesty and presence. Your greatest asset is your character. And when you value your integrity and morality, like Pluto, you are the rich one.

10th House Cusp is in Cancer

A safe house, a secure base, a cosy nest, a room somewhere appeals to Cancer’s need to feel protected and secure. With this sign on your 10th house cusp, these needs are also part of your calling and whatever track across the sand you take it is important you feel at home and have a sense of belonging to what you do as a profession. Psychologically Cancer’s task is to internalise home in order to create a secure foundation. Vocationally this task is more possible when there is a safe and secure work environment. Therefore you may have a preference towards a family environment and attempt to transform your career or work environment into a familial one, enveloping your work mates with concern and care or investing considerable feeling into your career.

Familial issues are often involved in your vocation; this could literalise as an environment that has an extended family atmosphere, a family business, working from the home, following the vocational traditions and customs, especially on mother’s side, or even vocations centred on family dynamics and issues. You might be drawn to vocations which involve the family and its dependants: family care providers, early childhood educators, day care workers, home services, which are all in the domain of nurturing Cancer. Occupations involving nurturing, caring and providing support to others will appeal to you.

Your nurturing urges need fulfillment in the world and this may lead to considering a profession as a health care professional, or an occupation in primary teaching, nursing, or counselling. Helpers of all kinds, like family therapists, social workers or involvement in public service should be on your list of considerations. As long as you can find an outlet for feeling in your vocation you feel fulfilled. Careers involving literal nurturing such as professions dealing with food, cooking, restaurant and hospitality work, home catering and home industries all let your instinctual urges be occupied.

Careers involving the home or products for the home, real estate or domestic jobs; perhaps even a more person-centred architecture or design business where your love of helping others to settle and to feel they belong, are could be suitable. Building emotional and financial security in your vocation is very important. Both are interconnected and the more emotionally connected you are in your vocation, the more financially secure you feel. Emotional security in your personal life is a necessity in order to excel in the world, the greater the support systems the wider your playing field.

As long as these needs are fulfilled and you feel emotionally supported and acknowledged there is no need to seek acknowledgement in the world beyond. Hence you are astute at dealing with complex issues when you feel safe and emotionally complete. Providing safety, comfort and care for those in need is your calling. Yet if you are not emotionally supported or secure, you may feel drained and taken advantage of by those in your working environment. Therefore it is always wise to seek the shelter and support of those you love and ask for the help and backing of those in charge.

The Sun is in the 10th House

In your 10th house you have the Sun. Solar occupations have been traditionally linked with speculation and risk-taking in entrepreneurial business ventures. While the Sun is not psychologically associated with risk, except perhaps the risks of self-discovery, the Solar sphere of the 5th house rules speculation and gambling and conjures up images of commodity traders, promoters, stock exchange personnel, investment bankers, high risk investors.

Solar qualities of leadership and fathering are connected with authoritative and executive positions. The Sun represents vocations that father and foster others, and with the Sun in the 10th house leadership is part of the career path; hence positions such as foremen, presidents, magistrates, community leaders, business managers, instructors, principals and team directors are reflective of the Sun shining through the 10th house.

On a personal level the need for the personal father’s approval may be high and this could be unconsciously transferred onto superiors in the workforce when father’s approval feels lacking or is withheld. Father may also be influential in the choice of vocation; this is not always conscious, as father’s unlived professional life may be cast a shadow over your own career path.

The Sun is also linked to entertainment professions, amusements, self-improvement, creative expression or careers involved relating to an audience. Acting, the theatre, the performing arts, motivational training, teaching, sales, advertising and promotions are all consistent with the urge to express the self. This also could manifest in careers involving amusement centres, or professions which deal with leisure and recreation. The Sun is also the natural ruler of the 5th house, suggesting working with children and children’s products. A wide range of careers would fit this category such as teachers, child counsellors, children’s recreation or amusement, children and educational toys, children’s wear etc. Of all the planetary types, the solar type is one of the most difficult to typify. However, you need to enjoy what you do and feel personally identified with your vocation.

There is a strong affinity with creativity and a need to be acknowledged and congratulated for your creative endeavours. Ultimately what is important is that you are able to identify with your career and be able to place your creativity and yourself at the heart of what you do.

Mercury is in the 10th House

Mercury is in your 10th house. As ruler of the intellectual signs of Gemini and Virgo, Mercurial occupations involve both the gathering and the analysing of information. The Mercurial archetype inclines towards professions that involve data, ideas and information technology, such as the information industry which now involves computers and the Internet. Statistical analysis, statisticians, scientists, accounting and economic analysis and librarians are also Mercurial occupations that involve research and processing of data.

Mercury was the messenger of the Gods and its astrological function is to deliver the message and to communicate. Therefore there is a host of Mercurial professions that include lecturers, teachers, writers, interpreters, journalists, radio announcers, editors, postal workers, the computer and information industry, the media and news reporting, advertising which might be of interest when contemplating career. Mercury is also the patron of travellers, their guide, and astrologically rules ‘short trips’ in astrology; therefore occupations involving the travel industry, drivers, couriers, tour guides and organizers, interpreters, flight attendants, cab drivers are consistent with this placement.

Mythological Mercury was also the god of commerce and vocations involving trade, negotiation, contracts, verbal skills, argument and persuasion are akin to his nature. You might consider the field of commerce, commodity trading, or the stock exchange. These might also be an appropriate sector to help consume some of your abundant nervous energy. The analytical side of Mercury also combines with the urge towards health in professions such as clinical psychologists, psychiatry and psychiatric nursing, dieticians, health care workers and medical analysis.

The Virgo side of Mercury is also important in all industries that provide services to their clients. With this archetype atop your horoscope it is important that you have flexibility and continuous change in your vocation. Without adequate movement or variety in your career you may become anxious, stressed or scattered. However, with the influence of youthful Mercury you are destined for many interesting assignments and positions in your chosen career. You have the knack of being able to reinvent yourself and see things afresh.

Saturn is Opposite The Midheaven

With Saturn at the lowest part of your horoscope, home may have been full of rules and regulations. In this atmosphere it might have been difficult to know what you really wanted or needed. Therefore leaving home, moving interstate, emigrating abroad might be necessary in order to hear your true calling, away from the expectations and traditions of your upbringing. Whether the family atmosphere was strictly bound or had secure enough boundaries you have inherited a deep sense of responsibility and duty. Your life task is to make sure that this does not become obligation to others, but an inner sense of duty and responsibility to yourself. Your task is to set down secure enough foundations and boundaries in adult life to be able to support your vocation. Ultimately you are your worst critic but also your best advisor.

CONCLUSION

‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.’ -Robert Frost

A Considered Vocation Fulfillment in the world is more a product of who we are, not what we do. Our vocational nature implies a path of individuation, a road ‘less traveled by’, and in some ways, a road still under construction. Hopefully this astrological consideration of your vocational potentialities has helped you reflect on a fulfilling career path. Astrological consideration of a vocation also needs to be placed in the context of the life cycle. Adolescents greatly benefit from a traditional examination of the vocational patterns in the horoscope to help confirm and inspire their career plans. However in adult years, especially when on the verge of mid-life (36+), the urge to find meaning and purpose through vocation is more the issue. Vocation is a lifelong task and one that is at the heart of the individuation process and the lenses through which we view vocation need to be re-examined and rechecked at every new stage of the life cycle.

WORK

“All work is a vocation, a calling from a place that is the source of meaning and identity, the roots of which lie beyond human intention and interpretation.” – Thomas Moore

The Labours of the Sixth House

Astrologically, the sixth house is an eclectic territory associated with many facets of daily life. All these components of the sixth house suggest everyday routines that are necessary to maintain order and coherence in order to contain the chaos of life. The sixth house recommends ways to remain focused and cantered. When we lose touch with this thread of continuity, chaos fills the void with stress, loss of direction and purposelessness.

The 6th house also indicates the areas of the body susceptible to carrying the stress when work is not nurturing or fulfilling. When we are not able to en-soul our everyday life with our work, then we are reminded of our distress by complaints of the body and the mind. Literally work makes us sick. Vocationally the 6th house symbolizes what is compatible with our nature and what we need in our work to feel fulfilled, therefore less stressed.

Traditionally the 6th house describes occupation; it illustrates the routine conditions of the job, the daily responsibilities and activities involved in performing job tasks that contribute to personal satisfaction. It also describes the atmosphere and those who share the workspace. Astrological wisdom has always suggested that work and well being are one and the same; to be well we need work that suits our soul. However, 6th house issues can become confused. In our workaday world often duty replaces satisfaction, the process of work is sacrificed for outcome, and ritual becomes obsession. The work instinct is to be productive; however when this turns to duty or perfectionism the enjoyment of work is lost.

Analysing the 6th house reveals the most satisfying work environment and routines, and profiles the most rewarding way an individual can be employed. The 6th house is often referred to as a house of service. However, it is where we best serve ourselves through the quality of our employment. Following is an analysis of your 6th house as described by the sign on the cusp and any planets that occupy this sphere. You will be able to maximize your fulfillment with work by recognizing the routines and tasks that are incompatible with your temperament and therefore create stress. Through becoming aware of daily rituals that support your natural disposition you will feel more satisfied and rewarded by your job.

The sign on the cusp of the 6th house is the first clue to rewarding work. Planets in the 6th house are archetypal energies that need to be accessed daily and integrated into your lifestyle. They are life forces that you are fated to meet in the world of work and vocation. In a perfect world we would use them productively through our daily tasks and labours, giving them an expression in the continuity of our daily rituals. Metaphorically work is the way we honour the archetypal force that underlies the planetary expression.

6th House Cusp is in Pisces

Pisces is the sign on the cusp of your 6th house and portrays images in the routine conditions of your job that could contribute to feeling gratified at work. What is important is that your work routines allow you to either be creative or of service to others. Your strong imagination could be directed in the arts, music, design, dance, photography; in fact, a host of creative endeavours might be possible. You may feel a strong urge to help others and this could lead you into working with the underprivileged, the handicapped or the disenfranchised. Care and compassion are virtues that you would like to express through your work. You are also devoted and dedicated to your work and if you are unable to feel as expressive or uplifted as you would like, then it is important to recognise that your spirituality needs to become an important feature of your lifestyle.

While you may not experience the creativity or the spirituality you would like at work, it is important that you provide a space outside of work for this. Your sensitivity in the working environment is elevated. Therefore it is important you recognise that appropriate boundaries are necessary on many levels. First it is important that you are aware of your duties and responsibilities and honour them, as you have a tendency to take on others’ tasks and duties. Being helpful to workmates and colleagues can often backfire. Without adequate boundaries you may feel overwhelmed with responsibility, feeling you are in ‘over your head’. Another boundary is needed emotionally, as you may become enmeshed with your workmate’s or client’s problems, leaving you feeling exhausted and depleted. Without containment, your urge to help could render you helpless.

As a sensitive you have a tendency to take on the negative feelings that are in the environment or in those you work with or for. Being so sensitive to your working climate means you need to take care of yourself both physically and emotionally, providing a healthy and pleasing workspace. Don’t underestimate the impact that other’s feelings and the feelings in the atmosphere have on your well being. You do best when the atmosphere is flexible and provides enough room to let things happen spontaneously. If there is too much structure or rigidity you may feel anxious or intimidated. It seems contradictory to suggest your work should go with the flow, yet it is best for you to find the venue where you can be more relaxed, more unforced and creative.

Your sensitivity is heightened at work and therefore daily practices like meditation or silence help to refocus and realign yours sense of well being. You need retreat and time to reflect and contemplate. When you do not get enough time out to recharge yourself you may feel listless, lethargic and directionless. When you sense yourself drifting or going around in circles it is time to pause and take stock. Work needs to engage your spirituality, your creativity and your compassion.

PROFESSION

“Every man has his own vocation; his talent is his call.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Status of the Tenth House

The cusp of the 10th house is the Midheaven, the highest point on the ecliptic at our moment of birth. Its elevation in the horoscope suggests a complex of factors: it is the most public area of the horoscope and represents our relationship to and experience of the world; this represents the goal posts which are not only set by ourselves but have been put in place by our ancestors; the MC and 10th house represent the parental expectations and values influencing our career choices.

Therefore the 10th house is a very important sphere in considering a fulfilling vocation. In essence it suggests our fate in the world. Traditionally the 10th house is associated with career. Since career suggests a course of one’s life, the 10th house will play a prominent role in helping to navigate the career path. The 10th suggests where we need to find our authority and autonomy in the world and where we strive to be successful. As the peak of the horoscope the 10th house suggests what we would like to achieve in our relationship with the world. It also suggests the public sphere and how we are recognized in that sphere, either through our professional titles, our achievements or contributions.

It is in this arena where we strive to contribute to the world in our own unique way The sign on the cusp of the 10th house (the Midheaven) suggests the career paths which may be fulfilling and lead to success. The sign also indicates what we want to achieve and where we need to strive for authority. Planets in the 10th house are in the public sphere and seek to be expressed through vocational pursuits and are also heavily influenced by both parental and societal expectations. Planets in the 10th house are the archetypes encountered along your professional path. They represent both resources and challenges met in the career as well as characterize images of a fulfilling vocation.